April 5 - The Thrill of Victory and the Thrill of Defeat - Eric Geiger

Summary

Mariners Church Weekend Messages

Episode: April 5 - The Thrill of Victory and the Thrill of Defeat
Speaker: Eric Geiger
Date: April 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this special Easter message, Eric Geiger explores the true meaning of victory and defeat in the context of the Christian faith. Centered around 1 Corinthians 15, the message contrasts temporary, worldly victories (like fantasy football championships) with the eternal, transformative victory found in Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Geiger invites both long-time believers and seekers to see Easter not just as a celebration of Jesus’s triumph, but as a personal invitation: the real thrill isn’t only in “winning,” but in letting Jesus “defeat” our pride so we can receive ultimate victory over sin and death.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The World’s Thrill of Victory vs. the Christian Victory

[00:24 – 03:30]

• Geiger opens with a humorous story about his fantasy football win, highlighting the fleeting nature of earthly victories.
  • “There’s a trophy I have in my office…it was satisfying, to be honest…But…that satisfaction…doesn't last that long. It’s a very temporary satisfaction.” [01:06]
• He draws a sharp contrast between this and the Easter victory—the resurrection of Jesus, which is everlasting and transformative.
  • “We celebrate the greatest victory in human history: that our Savior, Christ Jesus, entered this world for us…He is alive today.” [03:15]

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2. Why Easter Matters: The Most Important Message

[05:18 – 12:51]

• Geiger introduces 1 Corinthians 15, emphasizing Paul’s declaration of the resurrection as the core of Christianity.
  • “I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day.” [06:21]
• Christianity is not about good advice but good news—a historical event.
  • “The message of the Christian faith…is good news about what Christ has done for you.” [07:03]
• Notably quotes C.S. Lewis: “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” [07:38]
• Shared story of a conversation with a Muslim young man, using the “mountain” analogy to illustrate the profound difference between achieving God through effort (other religions) and receiving God’s descent to humanity (Christianity).
  • “It’s not what we do to get to God—it’s that God came here for us.” [09:48]
  • The message is universally beautiful and true: “He wants you. He enters this world to be with you.” [11:29]
  • “If it’s true, wouldn’t you agree that this is the absolute most important message in the history of the world?” [12:24]

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3. The Gift of Victory: What Resurrection Achieves

[12:53 – 15:09]

• Easter’s victory is described not as something earned, but something given.
  • “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [13:03]
• The liberating—and at first, “stinging”—element of Easter is that we cannot achieve this victory; it must be received.
  • “The message of Easter must first sting before it’s liberating…because you are never going to be good enough to climb the mountain to get to God.” [13:32]
• Ultimately: “The message of Jesus is not earn. The message of Jesus is: you can’t earn. So just receive.” [14:36]

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4. What Is the Nature of Christ’s Victory?

a. Victory Over Sin

[15:16 – 20:06]

• “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you're still in your sins.” (1 Cor 15:17) [15:44]
• Describes all humanity as spiritually dead without Christ; resurrection is not about self-improvement but new life.
  • “The scripture does not give you the picture that you were spiritually injured, in need of a life coach; you’re spiritually dead, in need of a resurrection.” [17:28]
• Introduces the concept of the “Great Exchange” — Jesus trades all our sin for his righteousness.
  • “When Jesus died for you, He wasn’t asking for your best day. He asked for your worst day…all of your sin, all of your pride, all of your shame…was laid on Him. This is the trade.” [19:08]
  • “God the Father looks at you as if you were perfect, though you’ve never lived perfectly…He sees the goodness of Jesus applied to your life.” [20:04]

b. Victory Over Death

[20:06 – 23:30]

• Explains Jesus as the “first fruits” of resurrection—proof and guarantee of believers’ own resurrection.
  • “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” [20:26]
• All humanity is either “in Adam” (spiritually dead, trusting self) or “in Christ” (alive, trusting Jesus).
  • “If you’re in Adam, death will conquer you. But if you are in Christ…death doesn’t conquer you because Christ has conquered death for you.” [23:01, 23:20]

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5. Barriers to Receiving Christ’s Victory

[23:30 – 27:53]

• Addresses common obstacles: unworthiness, shame, and doubts.
  • “It is not your unworthiness or sin that keeps you from receiving Him…All of us have fallen short. He welcomes you right now to Himself.” [24:04]
  • “He doesn’t love some future version of you when you figure everything out. He loves you right now.” [24:33]
  • “It’s not your doubts…He delights to welcome imperfect people with imperfect faith who are willing to trust a perfect Savior.” [25:03]
• The ultimate barrier is pride.
  • “Here’s what stops you from receiving the victory of Jesus. It’s your pride…It’s you thinking, I don’t need his victory. I can be victorious on my own. I don't want Him to be the king over my life. I want to be my own king.” [25:49]
  • Challenges the illusion of self-sufficiency and the emptiness of earthly achievements: “All the things that you have made king in your own life…they haven’t satisfied.” [26:06]

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6. The Thrill of Defeat: Finding Life in Surrender

[27:53 – 29:07]

• Paradoxically, the “thrill of defeat”—letting Christ conquer your heart—is the only way to experience the “thrill of victory.”
  • “To receive Christ’s victory for you, Christ must have victory over you.” [27:53]
  • “If you will allow Jesus to defeat you, that’s when real life comes. The thrill of defeat is you allowing this king to be your king.” [28:19]
  • “You don’t get the victory he has for you without him being victorious over you.” [28:48]

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7. Closing Encouragement and Prayer

[29:07 – 29:53]

• Geiger closes by inviting listeners to let Jesus be their king, experiencing the full life promised in his resurrection.
  • “So this Easter, will you allow Jesus to conquer you, to be the king over you? Lord Jesus, thank you for being the king who has conquered the grave and has given us life.” [29:07, 29:37]
• Prayers for blessing and encouragement for the week ahead.

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Memorable Quotes

• “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” (C.S. Lewis, cited at [07:38])
• “You are never going to be good enough to climb the mountain to get to God.” [13:32]
• “The message of Jesus is not earn…just receive.” [14:36]
• “When Jesus died for you, he wasn’t asking for your best day. He asked for your worst day.” [19:08]
• “He doesn’t love some future version of you…He loves you right now.” [24:33]
• “To receive Christ’s victory for you, Christ must have victory over you.” [27:53]
• “If you will lose to Jesus and allow the one who conquered the grave to conquer you…he gives you the thrill of victory.” [28:48]

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Key Timestamps

• [00:24] – Opening, intro to theme
• [03:15] – Contrast: earthly thrills vs the Easter victory
• [06:18] – First Corinthians 15: core of the Easter message
• [07:38] – C.S. Lewis quote on significance of Christianity
• [09:48] – Mountain analogy: difference between faiths
• [13:03] – “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory…”
• [15:44] – Victory over sin explained, “Great Exchange”
• [20:26] – Jesus as “first fruits” of the resurrection
• [23:01] – “In Adam” vs “in Christ”
• [25:49] – Barrier: pride, self-sufficiency
• [27:53] – The thrill of defeat: letting Jesus be king
• [29:07] – Final invitation, prayer, and blessing

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In Summary

Eric Geiger’s message masterfully weaves together humor, scripture, and personal stories to illuminate the deepest meaning of Easter. The “thrill of victory” is not in achievements or self-improvement, but in surrender—“the thrill of defeat”—to a Savior who has already won the victory. Real life, forgiveness, and eternal hope are offered not as a result of our striving, but as a gift when we allow Jesus to conquer our hearts and be our King.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

Welcome to Mariners Church Weekend Message Podcast. Inspiring people to follow Jesus and fearlessly change the world. Discover your purpose and get connected by visiting MarinersChurch.org or click the link in the show notes.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

All right.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Yeah, I'm excited about that. I'm excited about teaching from Ecclesiastes to you next week. I hope you'll join us. It's a great book. I've learned so much over the last several months studying for this. But this week I'm excited to talk about the reality of Easter. When I was a kid, my favorite show was on abc. It was called the Wide World of Sports. It was before ESPN Sports center was a precursor. And there was a slogan. You may remember it if you're old like me. It was the thrill of victory and

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

the agony of defeat.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

And this is a huge statement that victory is thrilling and that losing being defeated is agonizing. The thrill of victory. Now I actually know it's true because this year I won the Mariners Church staff fantasy football championship. The thrill of victory. It's a big deal to me. There's a trophy I have in my office of the championship. And the reason it's so particularly satisfying is I played other pastors who were talking smack to me because I had not played fantasy football in 20 years. And I started really slow. I was 1 and 4 and man, I drafted late. And one of the pastors who was especially just chirping is Aaron Kerr. He's the lead pastor at Mariners Mission Viejo and he's who I beat in the championship. And I now refer to him as my son. I am so thankful that I won that. And after winning, it was satisfying, to be honest. I called John Thomas, who hosts on our outdoor worship center. He was in the league. He got like ninth place. He did not do that well. So I called him after and said, man, I'm just curious how satisfying this. Like, I had this feeling. How long will it last? How long will this satisfying victory last? And I realized as we were talking that he really has no idea. Cause he's never won. He wouldn't know what it's like to have that feeling. I sent this text message to everyone who was in the league. I'll just read. I'll just read a couple of snippets from it. This is what I said to everyone that I beat. I want to encourage you about the fantasy season. I know it's possible for you to be contemplating how this happened, how the pastor won the championship when he's not played in 20 years and drafted so Late started so slow and is unjustly low in the waiver priority. You may even be reflecting on when you realized it was happening, the moment all the trades and upgrades, 46 moves in all, got your attention and made you think Geiger's different. I've been playing checkers and he's playing chess. But don't think about those things, as it will only discourage you. Instead, let your heart be encouraged that my victory is your victory. My team was once your team because I traded from you my entire starting lineup. Don't let my victory break you. Let it encourage you. The thrill of victory. Now, all the staff that I beat, they're really disappointed because I'm not playing next year. I've retired. I'm going out on top. I'm going out on top. The thrill of victory. Now, you know if you've won fantasy football or anything in your life, that satisfaction is real. But it doesn't last that long. It's a very temporary satisfaction. We are gathered together with Christians all around the world, and we've been doing this as Christians for the last 2000 years. Every year we gather on Easter weekend and we celebrate the greatest victory in human history, that our Savior, Christ Jesus, that he entered this world for us. He was placed on a cross to absorb our sin and our shame in his flesh. And as he died on that Friday afternoon, he yelled out, it is finished. I have satisfied all of the payment for the sins of my sons and my daughters. He did not yell out, I am finished. Because he wasn't finished. He was buried. And on the third day, he was resurrected from the dead. He walked out of the tomb. He is alive today. He's the conquering king who rules and reigns over everything. And he's conquered the hearts of his sons and his daughters. And he's given us everlasting life. We have life forever because Jesus is alive. And this is the greatest victory in human history. The victory of Jesus over the deaf over the grave. And I'm so glad that you're with us this weekend to celebrate Easter. And I know that some of you, you've been a Christian a long time, and this means so much to you to have your heart refreshed with remembering what Christ has accomplished for you. Some of you, though, you are exploring the Christian faith. And I'm so honored that you are here. You were invited from a friend or a family member, and it says a lot about you that you're here because you are showing respect to your friend or family member to come with them. And I hope that over the next

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

couple of moments as we look at

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

the Scripture, that you'll be able to understand why is it that you Christians make such a big deal about Easter? And for those of us who are

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

his, who have been forgiven by him and know him, that this message will

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

refresh us and remind us what this is all about. So what I want to do over

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

the next couple of moments is show you in the Scripture a very famous Easter passage. It is First Corinthians, chapter 15.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

If you've been a Christian a while,

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

perhaps you've known this text.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

The Apostle Paul wrote it to some real Christians that were in the city of Corinth. That's why it's called First Corinthians. And it's the 15th chapter. It's a very long passage. The whole chapter is about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and what

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

it means to us.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

I'm not going to read you the whole text. It's really long. But I am going to pull out sections from the beginning and the end

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

and then show you some meat in

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

the middle to help you understand what this is all about. The Apostle Paul opens with this.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

In verse three and four, he says,

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

for I passed on to you as

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

most important what I also received, that

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Christ died for our sins according to

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

the Scriptures, that he was buried, that

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

he was raised on the third day

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

according to the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul says this. I passed on you what I received. I didn't make this up. This is not a message of human origin.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

I received this from God and I passed it on to you. He shares that the message of the

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

Christian faith is good news.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

This is news about what has happened,

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

that Christ was crucified, that he was buried, and that he was resurrected from the dead.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

The message of the Christian faith is

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

not good advice about what you do to get God to love you. It's good news about what Christ has done for you.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

It's news of an actual event. Easter is news of an actual event,

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

that Christ was killed for you.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

He was buried and he's resurrected from the dead.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

And then the Apostle Paul says that this news is the most important.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

See, I passed this on to you as the most important message in all of the world, as the most important reality.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

There is C.S. lewis, the famous author, he said this.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Christianity is, if false, is of no

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

And the Apostle Paul is saying that

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

in this very famous passage.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

He's saying if Christ is not raised

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

from the dead, then this is all meaningless.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

But if Christ is raised from the dead, then this is the most important message. And those of us who are Christians, we reorient our lives around this message. The only thing that doesn't make sense would be for someone to say, I, I actually believe this, but this doesn't

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

change how I live.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

No, this is the most important message there is.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

A couple of weeks ago, I was in a conversation with a young man who's Muslim, and it was like a 45 minute to an hour long conversation. I really enjoyed the conversation. He was a great guy, super kind and inquisitive.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

He asked me early in the conversation,

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

man, what do you do for a living?

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

And I said, I'm actually a pastor

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

of a church that believes in Jesus and we follow after Jesus. And he says, man, I think that's awesome. I was telling him some of the things we do to serve in our cities. He said, man, I think that's awesome what you guys do.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

I actually though I'm Muslim, I believe that really all of us have kind

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

of the same beliefs that in the end we're all gonna get to God. What do you think about that? He asked. I said, man, what you just said, lots of people believe that. So you believing that is like a normal belief. But I'm gonna be honest with you, you know who doesn't believe that is actually really devout Muslims that I've talked to in Cairo, Egypt and Dubai, and even here in Southern California.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Devout Muslims that I've had conversations with don't believe that they believe the same thing that I believe.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

We've concluded that we do some of

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

the same things, but we do them for very different reasons. He said, really?

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

What do you mean?

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

I said, well, like devout Muslims that I've had conversations with, they will do

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

many of the same things I do. They will pray, give fast.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Now they go on a pilgrimage to Mecca.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

I don't do that. But they do the pillars of their faith.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Many of those things look similar to what I do. I pray, I give, I fast. So I totally understand how you could think you guys do some of the

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

same things then, isn't it the same? But we do them for very different reasons. The Muslims that I've talked to in the Middle east and here in Southern California, they say the reason they do those things is they are trying to get to God. The reason I do these things is because God came here for me and he changed me. I do these things not because I'm trying to get God to love me, but because he has already loved me. Not because I'm trying to achieve him, but because I've already received him. I said, man, maybe you've thought about it this way.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Lots of people have thought this. Is this what you're kind of thinking? I said that God's on top of the mountain and that all different faiths get there eventually.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

Muslims go one way, Hindus one way, Buddhists one way, Christians one way. And then.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

And then people who are they just trying to be good in life, they go, they're moral or they're good people, and they go one way. And honestly, man, I'm telling the guy, I've got people in my church who haven't yet understood the gospel and they still actually think that they climb a

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

mountain to get to him. But the message of the Christian faith is completely different. I could never in my goodness climb the mountain to get to him. The message of the Christian faith is that he descended. He's not on top of the mountain yelling at me to ascend to him that God the Son came here. He descended, entered this world, lived perfectly on my behalf, went to a cross, died on a cross for me to take into his flesh all of my sin and my shame. He was buried on the third day. He was resurrected from the dead. I have life. Not because I'm trying to achieve life, because I've received life from my Savior. I said, man, what do you think about that? This young man, Muslim guy, he says, I've never heard this before in my life. That's beautiful. I said, man, it is stunningly beautiful, isn't it, that God loves you so much that he wants you. He wants you, that he enters this world to be with you. It is beautiful. But listen, man, it's not just beautiful for me, it's for you, too. It's beautiful for you. If you'll receive this, here's what I want you to do, man. I've enjoyed talking to you. This has been a great convo. I'm asking you, when you go home tonight, will you just ask God to show you if it's true? You've already said it's beautiful. I'm saying it's beautiful and it's true. And if it's true, wouldn't you agree

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

that this is the absolute most important message in the history of the world, that this has utmost importance that would cause us to change and reorient our

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

lives around this message?

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

And this is how the Apostle Paul is opening this very famous passage, verse three and four. This is of first importance. There's nothing more important than this, that Christ died for you. He was buried and he was resurrected from the dead. The most important message there is.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

That's the beginning of this famous passage.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Then, if you have your Bible and you want to scan down to the very end of the passage, you see, the end of the passage describes what

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

it means for you.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Verse 57, the scripture says this.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. This message for you means victory, the thrill of victory. But it's not a victory that you earn, it's a victory that he gives. He gives you the victory.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Which means the message of Easter and

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

the message of the Christian faith is simultaneously frustrating and liberating at the same time.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

The message of Easter. Listen, it stings. If you really understand it, and if it hasn't caused some sting for you, it means you haven't really heard the message of Easter. The message of Easter must first sting before it's liberating. And here's why it stings. Because the message of Easter tells you you are never going to be good enough to climb the mountain to get to God. You haven't even lived up to your own standards. You haven't been able to live up to your own ideals. How are you going to live up to the ideals of a holy God? You cannot achieve the victory for yourself you need him to give you. Now, the reason this stings especially for us in Southern California. We are Southern California achievers and strivers. We like to achieve.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

And the message of the Christian faith is, you cannot achieve this. You can't. No matter what your resume says, no matter what you've acquired, no matter what you've accomplished, you cannot achieve this. Now, the message of Easter, when it first stings and you embrace it, if

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

you hold onto it, it then gets

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

to be very liberating. Because the message of Jesus is not earn. The message of Jesus is you can't earn. So just receive. Just receive.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Receive his grace. Receive his forgiveness. Receive his victory. You are not the one who walked out of the tomb on the third day. Jesus is the one who conquered the grave. He's the one who's conquered. And he won this victory for you. The thrill of victory that he won, he gives to his sons and his daughters. So the beginning of this very famous passage is this is the most important message.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

The end is it's victory for you. And in between, the beginning and the end are descriptions of what the victory is.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

And if you're following along with this text, you want to Ask.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

Even if you're curious about the Christian faith, a wise question to ask is, okay, he gives victory. What victory does he give? What is the victory that he gives? Well, you see two descriptions in the middle in this very famous passage. First, his victory is our victory over sin. He gives you victory over sin. Look at verse 17. It's in the middle on this very famous text, verse 17.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

The scripture says, if Christ has not

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

been raised, your faith is worthless. You're still in your sin. Huge statement Paul writes. The Apostle Paul writes he, if Jesus isn't resurrected from the dead, we have no hope.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

If Jesus isn't resurrected from the dead,

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

why in the world would you come to Mariners Church at 10am on Easter

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Sunday and deal with parking like, what?

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

This is so foolish.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

If Jesus isn't alive, this is an

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

absolute waste of time.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

If Jesus isn't alive, you are in your sin.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

The Apostle Paul says, now the scripture

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

gives a very honest. But it's a painful. Until you embrace the message of Jesus, a very honest assessment about who that all of us before we believe in Jesus are spiritually dead. Jesus was physically dead, placed in a tomb and he walked out. He's then physically alive. All of us are spiritually dead, though right now we're physically alive. But because we believe in Jesus, he resurrects us and makes us spiritually alive. But before we believe in Jesus, all

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

of us are spiritually dead. Dead. Meaning that you can't connect to God. You can't know Him. You can't be filled with his joy, his peace. He can't give you meaning and significance in your life. You are dead spiritually. Now, some have thought, no, no, no, I'm not dead. I'm just a little injured.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

The Bible doesn't give that picture. The Bible does not give the picture that you're able in your own life to walk through life and navigate life. And then you just kind of sprang your ankle and there's Jesus. You call him in as your coach or your life coach to come help you up. And he tapes up your ankle and he slaps you in the back and

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

he gives you some encouragement, says you can, you got this. You got this.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

You go and live life. This is not the picture the scripture says. The scripture does not give you the picture that you were spiritually injured, in need of a life coach, that you're spiritually dead, in need of a resurrection. But the good news is, is that Jesus is the one who specializes in resurrections, that though he is dead, he's now alive and he gives life to his sons and his daughters forever. Those of us who believe in him, he doesn't tell us, turn over a new leaf. He came to give us a new life. And he raises us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive. Cause only he has the power to conquer the human heart and make us brand new. And he does that. This is the message of Easter.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

Now, you can say, and it's a good question.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Okay, so you're saying He.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

He. He has victory over my sin. He conquers my sin. How does that happen? Because when Jesus died for you on the cross, he absorbed all of your sin. If you believe in him, in his flesh, he made a trade with you. Throughout the centuries, scholars and theologians have called what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross the Great Exchange. The greatest trade ever. When I won the Fantasy Football championship, this is the last time I'll reference it. I promise.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

I made lots of trades. And when I was making a trade, I was always wanting the other manager's best players. I was wanting their best.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

On the cross. Jesus traded with you not for your best, but for your absolute worst.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

When Jesus died for you, he wasn't

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

asking for your best day. He asked for your worst day. On him was laid your darkest moments. All of your sin, all of your pride, all of your shame, all of your unrighteous anger, all of your selfishness was laid on Him. This is the trade. He traded all of your sin. And in exchange, if you believe in him, he gives you all of his righteousness, his perfection. Which means you gotta get this, that if you believe in Jesus, God the Father looks at you as if you were perfect, though you've never lived perfectly. God the Father looks at you as if you've. As if you've been able to climb to the top of the mountain, though there's no way you could climb to the top of the mountain. He looks at you as if you've done everything right. Because when he sees you, he doesn't see your sin. And he sees the sacrifice of Jesus covering all your sin. He doesn't see your goodness.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

He sees the goodness of Jesus applied to your life.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

This is how he conquers your sin. So his victory is your victory over sin, number one. Then number two. His victory is your victory or our victory over death. I want you to see what he writes in verse 20 through 22. It's beautiful, he says.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

But as it is, Christ has been

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

raised from the dead. The first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die,

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

so also in Christ all will be made alive. This is God's word.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Now, I wanna leave this on the

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

screen for a moment. I wanna teach you the scripture. You're here, you might as well learn the scripture. I mean, this is a deep passage. What does this mean? That Christ is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep, of those who have died. First fruits is a term about a harvest. The first fruits are the beginning part of a harvest that guarantee the second part of the harvest is to come. This verse is teaching that Christ was the first to be resurrected and his resurrection guarantees yours, if you believe in Him. So if you believe in him, this means that when you die in this

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

world, you don't really die, that you're going to go into everlasting life. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He has eternal everlasting life. Those of us who believe in him, his victory over death is our victory over death. Listen, all of us have this in common. We're all gonna die in this world. But those of us who are in Christ, we believe in Christ. This life is not the end for us. We have everlasting life with Him. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead guarantees our resurrection. This is such good news for those of us who are mourning or in grief from friends and family members we have who have passed before us, that they have everlasting life. If they've believed in Jesus because of the mercy and grace of Jesus, that

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

His victory is our victory.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Notice this text also says that death

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

entered this world through Adam. Notice for death came through a man.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

And then just as in Adam, all

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

die, but in Christ we will be made alive. Here's what the passage is teaching. If you are new to the scripture, you probably still have heard of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were the first humans placed in the garden that God created, the Garden of Eden. Adam, just like us, disobeyed God. And when he disobeyed God, death entered the world. So the apostle Paul is saying, death came through one man, Adam, but life came through one man, the God man, Jesus. Death entered through one Adam, but real life came through Jesus.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Now here's a deeper cut.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

I'm thinking you can hang with me. I always brag on Mariners Church.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

The most sophisticated intellectual group of people I've ever taught.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

You can get this with me.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

The scripture actually gives the impression, the

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

clear teaching actually that all of us,

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

all of us this morning at the 10am all of us are either In

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

Adam, or we are in Christ.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

If you're in Adam, you haven't yet received the grace of Jesus. You're still trying to climb the mountain to get to Him. You. You're trusting yourself. You're in Adam. And if you're in Adam when you die, death will conquer you. But if you are in Christ, you've believed in Him. And when you die, death doesn't conquer

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

you because Christ has conquered death for you. So he gives the victory.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

So why would someone not receive this? He wins the victory, but he gives

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

victory to those who trust Him.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Why would you not receive this? Here's.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

Here's why. Maybe you're not receiving this. Maybe you're thinking, I'm just not worthy to receive. I've got so many struggles in my life, so much darkness, so many sins. You have no idea my past.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

If I'm going to become his, become a Christian, follow after Jesus, I need to make myself better first.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

I need to clean up my life first. Understand? It is not your unworthiness or your sin that keeps you from receiving him, or him welcoming you to Himself. There's only unworthy people. Christ only died for unworthy people because there's no worthy people for him to die for. All of us have fallen short. He welcomes you right now to Himself.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Understand?

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

He doesn't love some future version of you when you figure everything out. He loves you right now, right now. He wants you right now.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

It is not your sin and your shame that keeps you from Him. In fact, if you could make yourself worthy, then Jesus died for nothing. But Jesus didn't die for nothing. He died for us. He died for you.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

It's not your unworthiness that keeps you from Him.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

Some would say, well, here's what keeps

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

me from receiving his victory. It's my doubts. I've got so many doubts, Eric. So many unanswered questions. It's not your doubts. He delights to welcome imperfect people with imperfect faith who are willing to trust a perfect Savior. It's not your doubts. Here's what keeps you from receiving his victory. It's going to sting a little bit, but when you read the Scripture, it's really clear. Here's what stops you from receiving the victory of Jesus. It's your pride. It's pride. It's you thinking, I don't need his victory. I can be victorious on my own. I don't want him to be the king over my life. I want to be my own king. It's your pride that keeps you from Him.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

You Perhaps have thought, I don't want Jesus to rule and reign over me. I am really good at ruling and reigning over my own life.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

But if you're honest, all the things that you have made king in your own life, they haven't satisfied. They haven't been enough for you.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

You've accomplished things. You've hit goals maybe far surpassing what you ever thought you would accomplish in life. And yet they're still this gnawing emptiness inside. You don't have real life. You can't have real life apart from Jesus. Why? Because he is the Creator. Everything else you pursue is the created. He's the Creator. And he created you with a longing in your soul for him that can only be filled by Him. Anything else that you go after in this world that you make your king that you think will quench you and satisfy you is insufficient and will be unable to quench the deepest of your soul. But this king, King Jesus, if you will allow him to be your king, he satisfies you as with the riches of foods. Because this king is not only king. He's the King of kings and Lord of Lords. And he's not only the King of kings and Lord of Lords, he's also the Creator. The Creator over everything. He's your Creator. Every other thing is a created thing. Way less than Him. Only Jesus is the King and the Creator and the Savior, who stepped into this world and placed himself on a cross so all of your sin and shame would be placed on Him. Only Jesus is the King and the Creator and the Savior, who has the power to walk out of the tomb, who's alive today. And if you will allow this Jesus to conquer your heart, then he gives you real life. This king wants to conquer you. Wants to conquer your heart. Another way to say it is this. To receive Christ's victory for you, Christ

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

must have victory over you.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

For you to receive his victory over

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

sin and his victory over death, Christ must have victory over you. You must surrender to Him. The thrill of victory and the agony

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

of defeat is a statement applied to sports.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

And it's often true. But it's not true about the message of Easter. The message of Easter is the thrill of victory and the thrill of defeat. The thrill of defeat. If you will allow Jesus to defeat you, that's when real life comes. The thrill of defeat is you allowing this king to be your king.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

If you will lose to Jesus and allow the one who conquered the grave to conquer you to be your king, then he gives you the thrill of victory. Victory over your sin victory over death. But you don't get the victory he has for you without him being victorious over you.

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

Which means you bow to King Jesus and you allow King Jesus to be your king. The thrill of victory only comes if you will have the sweet thrill of defeat, Jesus ruling and reigning over you. So this Easter, will you allow Jesus to conquer you, to be the king over you? Lord Jesus, thank you for being the

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

king who has conquered the grave and

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

has given us life.

[Teaching Pastor (possibly Eric Geiger)]

And we know one day that you're going to return and make all things new. You're not only going to give new life to your sons and daughters, you're going to resurrect this broken world. You're going to make everything right and

[Lead Pastor (possibly Kenton Beshore)]

new because you are the one who was, who is, and who is to come. Thank you, Jesus, for your work for us. In your name we pray. Amen.

[Prayer Leader]

All right, extend your hands, please, and let me pray a prayer of blessing over you as we go. Jesus, I pray you'd bless your sons and daughters this week, that you would remind them that you were gentle and approachable and that you love them, cause your face to shine on them. I pray they will experience your mercy and your joy this new week. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Go in peace. Have a great week.

[Podcast Host]

Thanks for tuning in to the Mariners Weekend Message Podcast to support the ministry of Mariners Church. You can click the link in the show notes or download the Mariners App, your favorite app store. If you've been navigating God's wisdom with us through this year's annual read and would like to hear personal reflections from pastors in your community, check out the Gospel Every Day podcast. Imagine feeding your heart, mind and soul with the kind of practical wisdom that will change your life. If you haven't picked up the annual read yet, visit MarinersChurch.org or download the Mariners App app for more information on where to find it.